June 1, 2011. Bill Szydlowski
credit: Nicholas_TThere are a number of inevitable circumstances that can happen in life, but what makes the difference is how we face them. One of the most common unavoidable things that can occur to you is falling asleep while driving.
Even if you have slept sufficiently, sometimes drowsiness will really creep up on you while you are on the road. So, what can you do on how to stay awake while driving in order to avoid a potential road accident? Here are a few tricks.
• If possible, do not drive during the periods of the day when you are most prone to falling asleep. These are during mid-days, and during night time until the wee hours of the morning. Your body is normally sleepy during these times, so it will be hard to keep up with any task that will require your concentration especially driving. Try to put off any driving assignment at periods that you feel energized. Doing so will help in keeping you away from probable mishaps.
• Do not be afraid to pull over when you feel tired. It is equally important that you have the ability to recognize signs of driver fatigue on the road, because they will help you decide whether it’s still safe for you to continue driving or not anymore. Some of the signs that you have to watch out for are repeated yawning, switching from one lane to another, momentary lapses resulting to inability to remember your destination or where you came from and somebody honking behind you. When you experience any of these, you definitely need to take a quick nap in order to regain your energy.
• Be with somebody. It is usually nice to have someone with you while you are travelling. Aside from the fact that your companion can take away your boredom, he can also watch out for you while you are driving. And aside from that, you can take turns on the steering wheel so that none of you gets too tired.
Updated June 1, 2011. Published May 7, 2011. Bill Szydlowski
